The present invention relates to license plate frames, and particularly to license plate frames for motorcycles.
While automobile license plates in the United States are generaly of uniform size, license plates issued for motorcycles, mopeds, snowmobiles and other smaller vehicles vary in size among the individual states. For example New York State issues a plate approximately seven inches by four inches and New Jersey issues a plate approximately 77/8 inches by 31/2 inches. While mounting brackets can be provided with slotted bolt receiving holes to accomodate varying hole spacing on such plates, license plate frames which include a central opening must be provided in varying sizes to accommodate the plates of different states without either having unattractive gaps between the plate and the frame or obstructing information on the plate itself.
Prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,390,732; 1,653,497; 1,771,039; 1,793,696; 1,857,141 and 2,555,706 are directed to frames for varying size plates. All of these patents provide means for varying the overall frame size to accommodate varying plate sizes. Most of these approaches are not practical or cost effective for modern plastic frames and they cannot accommodate popular frames which include illuminated "twinkle" lights behind a plastic lens which surrounds the plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,709,314 provides a license plate holder that does not include an aperture, but merely a planar surface with selectable knock-out panels that can be used to surface mount a license plate with varying hole spacing. The frame itself is not adjustable to closely fit the plate in an attractive manner.
Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a license plate frame arranged to receive and display license plates of varying sizes.
It is a further object to provide such a frame that is inexpensive and easy to fabricate of molded plastic and which can accommodate illuminated decorations around the plate.